Review – In Debt to The Enemy Lord (Lovers and Legends #4) by Nicole Locke

“You have a debt to pay. You owe me your life.”

Anwen, bastard of Brynmor, has fought hard to find her place in the world. But she’s forced to rethink everything when she’s saved from death by her enemy Teague, Lord of Gwalchdu. Instead of releasing her, he holds her captive…

Teague trusts no one. So, with ominous messages threatening his life, he must keep Anwen under his watch, no matter how much her presence drives him wild. And when passionate arguments turn to passionate encounters, Teague must believe that the strength of their bond will conquer all!

In Debt to the Enemy Lord is book four in the Lovers and Legends series, even though these books do have a common link between them, they can be read very easily as stand-alone as each book has its own unique story, its own history and fresh character’s. I did start reading this series half way through and I am currently reading them out-of-order but as they are so well written and each one is different that is very easy to do.

I have been a huge of fan of Nicole Locke’s work since I first read her work and I have been hooked since each book in the series has a superb story that entwine’s itself so beautifully with history, myth’s and romance.

Set in the after-math of the war between Wales and England, where English King Edward I won the war, now the country has settled in a sort of stale-mated peace. Each side trying to move forward and get on with their lives, the Lord of Gwalchdu; Teague is thankful that the war is over but now home from fighting alongside King Edward he is treated with hostility from his people. Teague is half English and half Welsh and when the war broke out Teague chose to side with the English, making the Welsh think of him as a traitor to them and treat him with hostility and contempt. Teague is receiving mysterious threatening letter’s that are both alarming and worrisome, he feels alone as he has an issue with trusting people and more to the point very few people trust him. If it wasn’t for his brother; Rhain he would be very much alone in the world.

While out and about with Rhain touring his lands, he unexpectedly comes across a beautiful young woman who quite literally falls into his arms, after falling out of a tree. After the letter’s he keeps receiving Teague is instantly on edge, he is certain she must be a spy or something more sinister. But being the honorable man that he is, Teague takes her home and nurses her back to health only to discover that she is in fact from the illegitimate daughter of the Prince of Brynmore. Teague is a good man, he always does what he thinks is right not just for himself but for his people of Gwalchdu. He has a lot of pain that he holds close to his chest, I really felt him to be a very sensitive man and even the little snide remarks doe’s impact him. If it wasn’t for the wonderful Rhain Teague really would be alone in the world. He fully believes that Anwen is the person behind these threats he has been receiving so he makes sure she stays within his castle where he can watch her and as he does, he becomes more and more enchanted by her.

Teague is a lonely and brooding man, he sees darkness and lies ever where and trusts none and yet I find him utterly fascinating. His is a quietly seductive and remarkable man, he has like a haunted aura about him that pulls you to him like a moth to a flame. I love how Locke has described the brothers when Anwen first meets them both; one is golden light and the other darkness, and this is so true for them.

Anwen is very much in the camp where she see’s Teague as a traitor; which actually she does refer to him as such throughout the book. She thinks that being the Lord of Gwalchdu he should have stuck with his country people. As much as I liked Anwen’s spirit and passion for what she believes in and her tenacious character, I found her constant berating of Teague a little irritating at times she did act like a spoilt little girl a lot. Yet Teague and Anwar have a real connection once they let go of their own personal dislike and distrust of one and other. There are some really sweet and lovely moment between them when they have let their guards down, and their happily ever after is well worth the wait.

As I have been reading them out-of-order I had met Rhain before in ‘The Knight’s Scarred Maiden’ (which comes after this book) I was instantly drawn to him, he such an extraordinary character. As this is before his own story we see what he was like before he became a mercenary he is so alive, and so different to how he is when I first met him. The relationship between Teague ad his brother is loving and tender, they know each other so well and look out for one and other.

I have always been a fan of ‘Enemies to Lovers’ tropes and this is exactly what I look for in when reading one, the to-ing and fro-ing between Teague and Anwen is so entertaining, if at times strained. This is a dark and brooding romance – which is actually a lot likes its hero; Teague, which I thoroughly enjoyed it, I do have a real fondness for Medieval Romance and Ms Locke is a very gifted writer in the era. The story is complex and thought-provoking, with some very memorable characters it takes you on a journey with a lot of twists along the way and encased in historical fact.

Thoroughly enjoyed it and I cannot recommend it enough, definitely a must read for Medieval Romance fans.

In Debt to The Enemy Lord can be purchased from Amazon.

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Review – Her Christmas Knight (Lovers and Legends Series #6) by Nicole Locke

A knight to protect her—this Yuletide By order of the English king, Alice of Swaffham searches London nobility for the traitor dealing information to the Scots. Little does she know that the mysterious spy she seeks is the man she once loved and thought she’d lost forever…

If Hugh of Shoebury felt unworthy of Alice before, as the Half-Thistle spy he can never claim her heart. Now he must fight to keep not only his dark secrets—and Alice—safe from a vengeful king…but also his burning longing for her at bay!

This is the next instalment of Nicole Locke’s enchanting “Lovers and Legends” Series, this is a terrific addition and Locke doesn’t disappoint Her Christmas Knight is empowering and romantic with a darker undercurrent. I’ve said it before, but I do love a Medieval Romance I find that this era and Locke’s work is raw and highly romantic.

Medieval Romance takes you to a brutal time where the men were real, harsh and untamed men and the women were just as strong, maybe not treated very well but they worked even harder to get what they wanted. That’s I really like about this era, romance its always very gritty and raw.

Why had he danced with Alice? It could never be simply a dance with her. Stupid to think otherwise, but he’d been consumed with jealousy. He’d had no right, and yet he’d taken it….

Hugh of Shoebury is charged by King Edward to go back to his childhood home of Swartham to spy on the villager’s, the Fenton family particularly, specifically Alice. Which is all good as this isn’t anything knew to him but the thing is, Hugh has a secret, a deadly secret that only he knows and one that could get him killed for treason if anyone find’s out, because in the eyes of the King he is doing just that by keeping this secret; he is committing treason. It’s all for a good cause, he is protecting the life of his best friend and mentor; Robert the black who after faking his own death moved marriage a Scottish Lass and Hugh is the only person who knows the truth. But, by taking on this assignment from the King, Hugh finds that his secret could very much be found out

Alice of Swartham while in London got pressured into playing a game, which should have been just a bit of fun but she soon finds out that it wasn’t just regular childish game but a task that was set by the King. Alice being the only one to finish this game is then in a combination of being threatened and pressured, accepts an assignment by King Edward to find the traitor who is passing information to the Kings enemies’ and who is hiding within her sleepy village of Swartham. The traitor has a seal; the Half Thistle that belongs to the King himself and is using it to correspond with Scots and outlaws and Alice needs find that seal and hand over the traitor.

Alice at first comes across as a naive, stubborn young girl who is set in her ways. She is also very caring, hugely likable and highly protective of her family which is why she is doing this duty for the King. When she finds that Hugh is back she has mixed feelings about his return, Alice has always held a torch for Hugh, ever since she was a young girl – but then again it isn’t surprising because is quite a man who would capture any young girl and woman’s heart. Alice was infatuated with him, that is until he broke her heart in a rebuke that put her off men for life, she has sworn that she hates him and yet, she still holds tightly on to that vow that she made as a child, a vow that he was the only man for her.

But she wouldn’t give up—she’d made a vow.
‘‘But don’t you see?’’ she said. ‘‘There wasn’t a reason to stop your kiss that day. I never saw you as you saw yourself. Like you do now. I only saw your strength, courage, perseverance. That was the man I wanted. The man I vowed to marry.’’
‘‘You saw me wrong. You keep seeing me wrong.”

When Hugh find’s out what the King has made Alice do, how he has put her into such danger. Hugh is fuming, not just the fact that the King has got an innocent woman to do a man’s job, but the fact that this could get her killed and as much as Hugh act’s the callous, unfeeling brute, he genuinely cares for her. He always has done! But there is the fact that her search is getting too close for comfort, so he decides to “help” her with her mission.

Hugh may come as a manipulative and callous brute, that only cares about himself, but that is only a mask, a mask that he has hid behind since childhood. Really, he is a kind, generous and valiant man who has seen too many hardships and experienced too much pain in his life, I have always liked flawed heroes and Hugh is perfect. He makes you want to wrap your arms around him and tell him that you will always be there for him, no matter what. He hasn’t had a lot of kindness showed to him, mainly because of his parentage the only person that was really kind to him was Alice, even as a young girl she had a light and caring nature that instantly drew away Hugh’s darkness that circulates him like a predator.

I really like their relationship, right from the beginning when she has vowed that she will hate him and she want’s nothing to do with him and Hugh believes he is destined to be alone, there is a real buzz around them whenever they are in the same scene. Their love/hate romance is intoxicating and sweet and you are urging them on and at times you want to bang their heads together.

This moment right now was what she had dreamed of all those years ago when she’d demanded that Hugh kiss her. She didn’t want only his kiss—she wanted his love….

Now, King Edward is a shrewd, malicious man who takes pleasure in toying with both Alice and Hugh. He is a manipulator who preyed on Alice’s good nature, on her love of her family by threatening them and coercing her into doing what he wanted her to do. Just as with Hugh, he seems to be able to read their minds and know their deepest fears and darkest secrets and he plays on that, Kind Edward is one nasty piece of work and Locke has done an unbelievable job at capturing his manipulative and malicious side.

As always Locke sprinkles her own unique magic over this and creates a thoughtful, thrilling and at times, heart wrenching story of finding love in the most dangerous times. Locke has handled Hugh’s past with sensitivity and respect and out of all that darkness and grief she has made Hugh in to the great man he is, and the same can be said for Alice. I have always thought that Locke excels at writing heroines, her ladies are always as strong as the men, they know their own minds and always put their brains to good use.

Another enchanting and romantic Christmas story, which I absolutely recommend. It’s just so good!

This was a ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Her Christmas Knight is out 1st November and can be pre-ordered at Amazon.

Review – The Knight’s Scarred Maiden (Lovers and Legends Series #5) by Nicole Locke

A maiden for the mercenary

Mercenary knight Rhain is living on borrowed time. With a vengeful warlord pursuing him, he has accepted his fate—though first he must get his men to safety.

When he rescues mysterious and deeply scarred Helissent from her attackers, Rhain soon wishes he wasn’t marked for death. He can never be the man she deserves—his scandalous lineage alone dictates that—but Rhain can’t resist the temptation to show this innocent maiden how beautiful she truly is…

Lovers and Legends A clash of Celtic passions

Brief Preview

Knight and mercenary leader; Rhain is trying to get his band of brother mercenaries to the safety of York, due to the fact that Rhain has a bounty on his head from one of the most powerful lords in the country he knows that he will eventually end up dead but he’s adamant that his band of mercenaries will survive.

On their way to York, Rhain stops at a sleepy little village at first it’s just like any other until he sets eyes on the mesmerizing Helissent, a severely scarred but deeply beautiful woman. One night as he’s on patrol of the village he hears screaming and comes across Helissent being attacked by a gang, after rescuing her from certain death he tends to her sounds and leaves her.

Helissent is in complete shock over what happened but no just about the attack but over the kindness Rhain has shown her, for the first time in her life she has felt safe. She knows that without Rhain there she may not survive and so she does the only thing she can do to protect herself; she walks into the mercenaries camp and demand that their mysterious leader take her to York with them.

So now Rhain in stuck between a stone and a hard place, he knows what she says is true an innocent woman like her, alone in a place where her attackers live wouldn’t survive, and his conscience wouldn’t let him rest if anything happened to this charming creature. But can he risk her life by taking her with him?

Off course he can! Just one look into her determined eyes and the decision has been made for him, there is just one problem as they make their way towards York, Rhain starts feeling things for Helissent that he knows he shouldn’t, having a price on his head and his death is imminent he can’t begin something no matter how alive he feels.

My View

I love this, this is absolutely superb! It sticks with you and gets under your skin, but in a very good way you become absorbed in their dark and dangerous world. I have read Historical Romances​ that has stuck with me long after finishing the book, but this is right up there with some of the best books I have read. It’s beautiful, heart wrenching and you get tingles while reading it.

Rhain is such an intoxicating, brave and a undeniably fragile man who has got so much loyalty and he is very protective of his men and he wants to do right by them. He acts cold and distant and he is a little paranoid, but behind those amazing Amber eyes he has got a heart of pure gold, he just wants to protect Helissent and his band of mercenaries from what he knows is coming after him.

“ I’m not a saviour,” he said.
She, of all people knew no one was and that she didn’t deserve one.
“I’m not asking you to be.”

Rhain was raised as a lord as his father was one of the powerful Welsh Lords, but he finds out that the people he thought were his parent, weren’t and in actual fact his biological mother was the woman he grew up calling his aunt, a woman who he grew up respecting and loving. The only thing that he doesn’t know, is who his father is, so for the last five years he has searching for this elusive man and as his searched be became the man and mercenary he is now.

He believes he is tainted, that he is cursed because his biological mother was prone to seizures, he now believes that he has got “The Devils Blood” running through his veins. He believes that because of that he will never be able to have the life that he wants, a life that he was raised to have and this does explain a lot about how he is and how little he thinks of his own life which is a real shame as Rhain is very special man.

Rhain is an absolutely fabulous man, he is skilled at everything from sword fighting to healing, but he is a vulnerable man, a man who needs a bit of kindness who is the most outstandingly beautiful hero I have come across in a very long time.

“All this time women have been riding against you and you haven’t spared then a glance. Yet with her, you are. You even listen to that dreadful song she constantly sings.”
“Enough, “ he growled. “I’m a dead man, why bother with these questions?”
“Because your a dead man, and for some reason your coming alive, again”

Helissent wears her scars, not with pride she isn’t proud of herself, she is deeply ashamed of how she came about her burns, she does embrace them as that. As her shame and guilt! She feels that she is deserving of them, she has got this mad notion that because she couldn’t save her family from the flames, then she deserves the scars, the pain and even the scorn filled looks. She thinks she let her family down and as such she wanted to die too. So now she not only has to suffer from other people’s prejudice but from her own self loathing.

She is actually so much like Rhain, he is filled with self loathing too and neither of them can see just how incredible they are.

I know I say this a lot, but Helissent is by far the most incredible heroine I have come across, she is a courageous little thing. I absolutely love how she walks right into the den of big, burley mercenaries and demands that their leader; the gorgeous and intriguing Rhain, take her with him to York. Even when he refuses and she is surrounded by his men, she stands her ground and like any good negotiator she brings them around to her way of thinking.

She is an Inspirational woman!

“Your a gem, Helissent. A very rare gem. I’ve never met your like before.”

This is very clever, I really like all the different aspects that feature in the story from Helissent’s talent for baking, to Rhains mercenary life style. I particularly like how Locke has brought to attention how suppositious people were at the era and just how people saw hereditary illnesses, like seizures. The fact that people saw having some kind of illness as having, so-called “Devils Blood” hugely fascinating.

I do genuinely love this book, the plot is fast, complex and thrilling. Rhain and Helissent take you on this sensual, nerve wrecking journey as they find their feet and try to survive and move on with their lives.

From this book Locke has now become my go to author for Medieval Romance, it is astonishingly good, this isn’t your run of the mill Historical Romance. This is something special and cannot recommend this enough, for those who don’t like or haven’t read Medieval Romance you need to read this. This is how a Medieval romance is supposed to be, its perfect!

This was an ARC copy via the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Knights Scarred Maiden is released on 27th July and can be pre-ordered Amazon.

What is the Lovers and Legends Series?. . .Guest Post by Nicole Locke

What is the Lovers and Legends series?

I don’t know. I didn’t come up with the name, Harlequin did. I do, however, love the name because it sounds Jackie Collins-ish. That may have made it worse to my understanding what the series will entail because if there ever was a legend she was it. I’m definitely not.
Oh, I know I’m supposed to have the answer to what the series is. After all, I’m the person at the keyboard. But the funny thing about creating something is it never feels as if it’s coming from you.

Certainly none of these characters or their stories, or the plots and intrigues and villains feel like they’re coming from me. It feels more like I’m just the medium for them to tell their story. Which now makes me sound like someone from Poltergeist, when all I am is someone trying to explain this while eating pretzels.

Yes, I’m eating pretzels while writing this post. See? Definitely not Jackie Collins.

But I do have stories to tell, and there will be many in the Lovers and Legends series. So far, there are ten. I have a lot of voices in my head.
They are not written in chronological order, nor are they written in order of importance. They’re more like threads in a tapestry. They can be read separately, and each has their own Happily Ever After.

But everything hubs around The Knight’s Broken Promise, which introduces Robert of Dent, his friend Hugh, and the Colquhoun clan. All the people in that book will have their own stories, and the best part, you’ll see them again and again. For instance, you’ll be introduced to Gaira’s brother, Malcolm, in The Knight’s Broken Promise, hear about his grief in Her Enemy Highlander and struggles in The Highland Laird’s Bride. Eventually, he’ll have his own happily ever after, too.

What of the Legend? That’s first revealed in Her Enemy Highlander. It’s a Jewel, which has many myths attached to it. Thus, it becomes a powerful talisman for both good and evil. In The Highland Laird’s Bride, you’ll find its purpose. In Malcolm’s story, you’ll know what will become of it.

But before Malcolm’s story, there will be Rhain’s, who is brother to Teague, who is friends with Robert. And I’m currently writing Hugh’s story from The Knight’s Broken Promise for a later 2017 release.

I’m also trying (and failing) to rein myself in from talking about the other people and voices in my head. Yet someday, I hope to chat about them all while sharing my bag of pretzels.

In the meantime, I may not know exactly what the Lovers and Legends series is, but I’m typing it as fast as I can to find out.

More about my work at  www.nicolelocke.com